Aldine Printers makes Rapid investment

Aldine Printers of Cairns, Queensland has installed a full Rapid X2 digital label line in order to satisfy the demand for full color, mid-level label runs.

Aldine Printers owners Tracy and Rob Kingdom with the new Rapid X2 line

Rapid Machinery Company, the Australian-based manufacturer of Memjet-powered narrow web digital label printing systems, has completed the installation, which includes a Rapid X2 press, a Rapid D2 die-cutter/laminator and Rapid SR2 rewinder.

Aldine Printers produces a range of specialized labels, including those used by butchers and supermarkets, often printed on bright fluorescent substrates. The company also prints hot-foil and full colour labels, and offers design services.

Its equipment portfolio includes a Nilpeter FA2400 five-color UV press, a Rapid RP180 foiling unit, three Roland DG wide format printer cutters and thermal printers.

Its newest investment features a 220mm web with in-line die-cutting, laminating and rewinding.

Rob Kingdom, who runs Aldine Printers with his wife Tracy, said: ‘We have been watching the development of the Memjet and Rapid digital label technology for some time and we decided it was the right time to move – the technology is now ready and proven.

‘As a Rapid customer of 16 years with the hot-foil machine, we knew about the build quality and reliability of the company. We travelled to the Melbourne PacPrint exhibition in May and saw for the first time the complete X2 line with much needed die-cutting and laminating, so we ordered it on the spot.’

He added: ‘We have the excellent Roland DG wide format printer cutters for very short runs of full colour labels, but they are quite slow and require hand-slitting into rolls. Our demand for mid-level label runs was increasing so the Rapid X2 makes complete sense.

‘Although we would normally put four colour runs over 10,000 labels, depending on metres used, on the Nilpeter; we have actually produced a 30,000 label run on the Rapid X2.’

Rapid general manager Nick Mansell added: ‘We are delighted to continue our long-standing association with Aldine Printers by supplying the X2 digital line.

‘The Cairns region, like most of Northern Australia, is a go-ahead place and Aldine has always been innovative in the label industry.’

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